Christopher Eccleston, who played the Ninth Doctor when Doctor Who was rebooted in 2005, will not return for the series 50th anniversary special in November.

According to The Independent, a BBC spokesperson stated:

Chris met with Steven Moffat a couple of times to talk about Steven’s plans for the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary episode. After careful thought, Chris decided not to be in the episode. He wishes the team all the best.

This announcement is interesting in light of the recent news that John Barrowman had also been in some kind of talks with the Doctor Who team, and he too will not be appearing in the 50th anniversary special. In Barrowman’s case, he seemed quite keen on the idea of reprising his role. He had even gone so far as to have his current Arrow producers agree to time off from that series as a condition of his employment. After an initial announcement that they were in talks, for unspoken reasons, Barrowman’s return did not work out.

It is no secret that Eccleston left the show after one series over differences with the creative team at the time. During a master acting class in 2011 he stated, “I left because of politics. I did not see eye to eye with them. I didn’t agree with the way things were being run. I didn’t like the culture that had grown up around the series. So I left, I felt, over a principle.”

Much of the staff with whom Eccleston did not get on left over three years ago. Nonetheless, Eccleston over the years has still been lukewarm about making a reappearance. In spring 2011, when talk show host Graham Norton asked him if he’d make any kind of reappearance, Eccleston responded, “No, never bathe in the same river twice.”

The only change in Eccleston’s demeanor was this past fall when suddenly he spoke more kindly of the series. He also agreed to do the Nicholas Briggs audio drama that will feature the vocal talents of every surviving Doctor.

Are you disappointed that the Ninth Doctor will not return? Do you think he will regret not making an appearance?